Oil-switch.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908. E. M. GERRY;

vUIL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1o, 1905.

z SHEETS- SHEET 1,

'HHWH W1 .9 lhmulllith- No. 891,833. PATENTED JUNE 3o, 1908. E. M. GERRY. OIL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY il), 1905.

' Z EHEETS-SIIEET 2.

ff l l l l l I l I i frauen hir UNTTED STATEQPTFQNT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. GERRY, OF NORVOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNORTO THE BULLOGK ELECTRIC MANUFAC- TUBING COMFANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

OIL-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1908 Application filed May', 19115. Serial No. 259,789.

wood, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Switches, of which the fol owing is a full, clear, and exact specication.

My invention relates to switches or circuitbreakers for electrical circuits and particularly to switches having their contacts in a relatively non-conducting liquid, such as oil.

It has been the custom in oil switch-and oil circuit-breaker design to operate on the principle of instantly breaking the circuit by the operation of the switch or circuit-breaker. In high voltage work this sudden interruption of a large flow of current presents a number of objectionable features, among them being the necessarily high ru pturing duty which the switch has to perform, and also the production of 'a surging in the distributing system which is extremely undesirable.

The object of my invention is to produce an oil switch or circuit-breaker, particularly adapted for use in connection with high voltage systems, said switch or circuit-breaker being adapted to reduce thecurrent in the .Circuit to a comparatively small amount before the iinal break and thereby make the arc-ruptuiing duty of the vswitch very low, and prevent surging on the system.

A further object of my invention is to in' crease the arc-rupturing capacity of the switch.

My invention therefore consists of an oil switch or circuit breaker provided with means for introducing a resistance or other current reducing means into the'circuit as the switch or circuit-breaker opens and before the final break in the circuit.

The invention further consists of combinations of elements especially adapted to perform the desired functions, as will be hereafter described and particularly pointed vout in the appended claims. l

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a plan View of one forni ofthe switch, the cover plate being shown partly broken away; Fig. 2 is a section on the ine 2-2 of 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified forni of the inl proved switch; and Fig.-4 isa sectional view on the line 4-4 of 'end the operating crank 23 to which is Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the tank 5,

vto which is fastened the cover plate 6 by means of the pivoted bolts 7 and the nuts 8 or in any other desiredl manner, is partly filled with oil or other non-conducting fluid, preferably to the level indicated by line-f 9. Suspended from the cover plate 6 by means of the bolts 10 is a supporting plate 11 preferably constructed of insulating material. This plate 11 carries the insulating supports 12, 13, 14, and 15 grouped as shown in Fig. 1. The supports 13 and 15 preferably project completely through the supporting plate 11 (as shown in section Fig. 2) and eaeh'carries at its lower end a contact segment 16 and at its upper end a clip 17, the clip 17 and con tact segment 16 being electrically connected by the conductor 18 support. The supports 12 and 14 project from one side of the its upper end a plate 11 and each carries at clip 17. The clips 17 support the resistance sections 19 and 19, resistance section 19 being connected in a zig-zag fashion between the clips 17 on the supports 13and 14 for one side of the circuit and the section 19a'being connected between the clips on supports 12 and 15 forthe other side of the circuit. The contact segments 16 are adapted to be bridged by the bridging member' 20. This member 20 is mounted upon the rock shaft 21, but is insulated therefrom by block 22. The shaft 21 projects upwardly through the cover plate 6 and has attached to its upper oted the link 24 connected to a remotecontrol mechanism, not shown. The crank 23 may be replaced by an operating handle if so desired. The end contact segments 16a and 1Gb are connected to the terminal leads through insulating bushing 27 and ead 26 passing through bushing 271L in the cover plate 6. One end of the resistance 19 is connected to the lead 25 at 30 and its other end is in electrical communication with the contact segment 16C. The resistance 19 is connected at intermediate oints tothe contacts 16 located on an arc of) a circle between 16c and 16, The supports 14 and their clips .merely act to support the sections of the resistance between adjacent contact segments. One end of resistance 19a is connected to lead 26 at 31 and its other end is in elec-- trical connection with contact segment 16d.

loo

95 25 and 26 respectively, the lead 25 y assing diate' the contact segments 16 and 16b and short-l circuiting the resistances 19 and 19. The current enters through lead 25, passing through 20 and out through lead 26. As the shaft 21 is rotated in 'acounter-clock-wise direction, the member 20 movesover the vsegments'16 and gradually and automatically introduces the resistance into the circuit before the final break, which takes place when member 20 moves off .the contact s'egments 16'3 and 16d in a counter clock-Wise directionf. Just before the final break, the

circuit may be traced asvfollows: entering lead 25, assing through resistance .19 in a zig-zag rection between supports 13 and 14, through contact segment 16, bridginglmember 2(),contact segment 16d, resistance 19 in a zig-zag direction between supports 15- and 12, and then out through lead A26.

'In the modification illustrated in Figs. 3

, and 4,`the tank containing the oil and switch the form just described, and the contacts is of slightly different sha e from ridging member has a vertically reciprocating movement. The tank 5 is fastened tothe cover late v6 by means of the bolts 7 and nuts 3.

he su porting plate 11 is arranged in a vertica plane and is mounted upon the lugs 32 preferably formed integral with the cover plate 6. The plate 11 carries a plurality of insulating supports 35 arranged 1n two vertical rows. 1e supports 35 pass completely through the plate 11 and each carries at one end on one side of the plate a contact sewment adapted to be engaged by a vertically movable bridging member 20. These contact segments are designated 36 to 36f inclusive, and 37 to 37f inclusive. Each of' the supports 35 carries at its opposite end on the other side of the plate 11l a clip 17, and between these clips is- 'strung in zigzag manner the resistance 38'. rllhe contact segment and clip carried by a singlel support 35 are connected electrically by conductor 39, which passes completely through the su port. The lead l25 which asses througi the insulating bushing 27h .1n the cover plate is connected with the lower contact segment 36. The lead 26 which passes through the bushing 27 in the cover plate is connected to the contact segment 37 The resistance 3S is also connected with these leads at 33 and 38h. The bridging member 20*is mounted upon the cross bar 40. This cross bar is carried by the plungers 41 and 42 which pass through the cover'plate 6 and are connected by the cross head 43 to which any desired operating 4 mechanism may be attached.

The switch in Figs. 3 and 4 is shown in its open position. vIn its closed position the' bridgin member 20 connects the contacts 36 an 37 and the circuit is completed through lead 25, member 20 and lead 261. As the member 20 is moved upward the resistance 38 is automatically cut into circuit and when the member 20 bridves contacts 36f and 37f just before the final break, the circuit may be traced as follows: from lead 25, to contact 36, thence through part of resistance 38 in a zig-zag direction, through clips connected with contacts 37", 36, 37 d, 36e and 37, through bridging member 20 to contact 36f, thence through the remainder of resistance 38, through clips connected with contacts 37", 36d, 37, 36h, 37, and out through lead 26.

.von

In the appended claims I aim to cover all y chan esv an and o not limit myself to the specific mechanism shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what modifications of my invention- I claim as new' and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an oil switch or circuit-breaker, a tank containing oil, a supporting plate mounted within said tank, msulating supports mounted onsaid plate, contact segments mounted upon sald supports on one side of said plate, a bridging member adapted to engage said contact segments successively, and resistance sections mounted u on said supports on the other side of said p ate and electrically connected to said contact segments. l 2. In an oil switch or circuit-breaker, a tank containing oil, a supporting plate mounted within said tank, insulating supports mounted on said plate, contact segments mounted upon said supports on one side of said plate, a bridging member adapted to engage said contact segments successively,

4resistance sections mounted upon said supports on the other side of said Aplate and electrically connected to said contact sevments, and means projecting from said tan for operating said bridging member to 'in-' clude said resistance sections -in circuit as the switch or circuit-breaker is o cned.

3. In a switch or circuit-brea ier, a supporting plate, insulating supports mounted on said (plate, `contact segments mounted upon sai supports on one side of said plate a movable member arranged to engage said contact segments*y successively,4 resistance sections mounted u on said supports on the other side -of said p ate and electrically connected to said segments, and a tank containing'oil in which said contact segments are' immersed.

4. In a switch or circuit-breaker, a sup-` porting plate, insulating supports mounted on said (plate, contact segments mounted upon sai supports on one side of said plate, a movable member arranged to engage said contacts successyely, resistance sections m0unted u on sald sulports on the other slde of sal late, con uctors Wlthm sind l I n testimony whereof I afx my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

supports and 'e ectrically connecting said con- EDWARD M" GERRY' 5 tact segments and said resistance sections, Witnesses:

and a tank eontaining' oil in which said con- L. LOWENBERG,

- tactsegments' are rnmersed. FRED J'. KlNsEY. 

